MPs Shed Tears, Share Prayers During House Tribute to CFB Wainwright Victims in House Address

Party leaders delivered tributes in the House of Commons on Oct. 19 to honour four soldiers killed in a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Oct. 17.

MPs observed a moment of silence before Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the House, saying it was “united in grief” over the tragedy.

Carney said the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members were conducting training when a sudden windstorm caused a nearby fire, which had appeared to be under control, to spread “nearly a kilometre, in less than a minute, to where the soldiers were gathered.”

The prime minister said the original cause of the fire is not yet known, and the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is conducting an investigation with the support of the RCMP.

Several MPs became emotional as Carney listed the soldiers who died in the incident: Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Aidan Goulding, Pte. Shaun Farrell, and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark.

“These were sons, brothers, partners, friends; young men with bright futures who chose to serve our country and who died in that cause,” Carney said.

Carney also noted that many soldiers are still in the hospital “fighting for their lives,” and they will face a difficult road to recovery. Thirty-nine CAF members were injured in the fire.

“Canadians hold them in their hearts,” he said. “To the families who are at the bedsides of their loved ones in hospital, I want to say to you, Canada is at your side.”

Carney said that both the Minister of National Defence and Minister of Emergency Management are in Alberta to help coordinate the response. He said that liaison officers are supporting families at hospitals across the province, and mental health teams and chaplains are in Wainwright, at the hospitals, and on military bases throughout Canada.

The prime minister thanked Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for her government’s coordination with Ottawa in responding to the incident, as well as to first responders in the province. He noted that Canadians have also been finding ways to help, such as volunteering to give blood or feeding and housing emergency workers.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, tuning in virtually from Wainwright, said the four men “gave their lives” for Canada, and that many of those injured in the fire were going through “the most excruciating pain imaginable,” and that their lives would likely never be the same. “We pray for them all,” he said.

Poilievre, who is the local MP, said that he had spoken with a “brilliant group of young men” during Canada Day celebrations on the military base earlier this year, and learned on Oct. 17 that Goulding was among those men.

“I remember meeting him. Strong, handsome, polite, a real gentleman,” Poilievre said.

Poilievre said that while Parliament needed to support all efforts to reconstruct the damaged base, it also needed to assist the wounded and “make sure that they get the greatest care to save their lives and make their lives as rewarding as possible in the aftermath.”

“We will follow through and watch the investigation and learn the lessons to ensure that we minimize the risks of these types of things happening again,” Poilievre said.

Poilievre also urged Canadians to donate blood and plasma, particularly if they live in Alberta or the neighbouring provinces, saying burn victims need “large amounts” of both.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet told the House of Commons that “the cost of service should never be this high,” and expressed condolences to the families and loved ones of the four men.

“Our thoughts are with the wounded and their loved ones who are going through extreme concerns and challenges at this point. All Quebecers, I am certain, are with you and by your side today,” he said.

Blanchet said that the prime minister could “count on the full cooperation” of the Bloc Québécois if the Canadian Armed Forces, Alberta, or Wainwright needed any support.

NDP MP Gord Johns said that the party extended its “heartfelt and sincere condolences to the families, the friends, and comrades” of the four Canadian soldiers who lost their lives.